Stowage for three-pin electrical plug



June 10, 1958 l.. H. JACKSON STOWAGE FOR THREE-PIN ELECTRICAL PLUG FiledFeb. 10, 1955 l 2O U37 F162.

/A/m/mk L.r H. .TAcffso/V www m t United States Patent STOWAGE FORTHREE-PIN ELECTRICAL PLUG Leonard H. Jackson, Coventry, England,assigner to Coventry Radiator & Presswork Co. Limited, Coventry, EnglandApplication February 10, 1955, Serial No. 487,427l

Claims priority, application Great Britain April 8, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl.243--314) The invention relates to a stowage for three-pin electricalplugs having earthing pins of a diameter which fall within apredetermined range.

An object of the invention is to enable three-pin plugs having earthingpins within the range to be stowed and removed easily.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a stowage including arigid body having an aperture which is just larger than the diameter ofthe largest earthing pin of the range, and a resilient member, definingan eX- tensible opening which is aligned with the aperture and is justsmaller than the diameter of the smallest earthing pin of the range, theopening resiliently expanding to grip any earthing pin within the rangefrictionally, and means for accommodating the other two pins of plugswithin the range.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of stowage embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure l with the plug shown(in dot-dash lines) in stowed position; and

Figure 3 is a section on line III-III of Figure 1.

In Figure l is shown part of a support plate 10, over a central aperturein which is secured a rigid body in the form of an annular plate 11having a central aperture 12 and an outer peripheral flange 13 (Figure2). In the outer face of the plate 11 and on either side of the centralaperture 12 are stamped arcuate grooves 14. One end of each groove 14opens into a circular groove 15 in which is formed an aperture 16.

Through each aperture 16 extends a securing bolt 17 which passes througha corresponding aperture 18 in the plate and carries a nut 19 (Figure3).

Captive between the plate 11 and the plate 10 is a ring-like wireresilient member 20 the movement of which is limited by the flange 13and by the inner walls of the arcuate grooves 14. The resilient member20 includes two substantially parallel radial arms 21 which are,adjacent their free ends 22, outwardly bowed to define between them anextensible opening 23 smaller than but coaxial with the central aperture12 in the plate 11.

In the plate 10 are formed two slots 24 which diverge from the aperture12.

A conventional three-pin electrical plug 25 is shown in Figure 2 held inthe stowage. The plug 25 has the usual large-diameter pin 26 and twosmall-diameter pins 27, only one of which is shown. The aperture 12 isof slightly greater diameter than that of pin 26 and the unstressedextendible opening 23 is of slightly less diameter than that of pin 26.The width of the slots 24 is considerably greater than the diameter ofpins 27.

Thus, the plug is held in position by the pin 26 being inserted throughthe aperture 12 to be gripped in the extensible opening 23 by theresilient radial arms 21; the smaller pins 27 being housed in, but notresiliently held in, the slots'24. t

The support plate 10 can, for example, form an outer part of a cabinetwall of a clothes drying cabinet; the stowage being adapted for athree-pin electrical plug carried by a wandering lead for supplyingcurrent to a heater within the cabinet. In this way the plug can bestowed in a readily detachable manner when, for example, the cabinet isto be transported.

By making the aperture 12 sufficiently large and the slots 24sufficiently elongated the stowage can be used for a range of three pinplugs e. g., for 5 amp., l0 amp. and 15 amp. plugs. It is necessary forthe diameter of the aperture 12 to be greater than the diameter of theearthing pin o-n the l5 amp. plug, and for the unstressed width ofextensible opening 23 to be less than the diameter of the earthing pinof the 5 amp. plug.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

A stowage for a three-pin electrical plug having a larger ground pin andtwo smaller current carrying pins, the cross-sectional size of thelarger pin falling within a predetermined range, the stowage comprisingan annular plate, having an outer peripheral flange and a centralaperture, which is just larger than the maximum diametervof the range,said annular plate also having arcuate grooves between the ilange andsaid central aperture, said grooves being defined by' arcuate walls; are silient member in the form of a ring-like wire located between thetlange and the arcuate walls nearer to the flange andhaving two radiallyextending arms forming between them an extendible opening which isaligned with the aperture and is just smaller than the minimum diameterof the range, the opening resiliently expanding to grip the larger pinfrictionally, and a plate supporting said annular plate and having twoslots which diverge outwardly from the aperture beyond the plate toreceive the two smaller pins ofthe plug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,468,612 Johnson et al. Sept. 18, 1923 2,147,915 Morris Feb. 21, 19392,363,436 Pancoe Nov. 21, 1944 2,472,131 Toth et al. June 7, 19492,535,578 Johanson Dec. 26, 1950

